The Black Student Union (BSU) put on their annual Black History Month Show in the auditorium on Fri., Feb. 6 during periods 1 and 2. The event showcased Black culture through dance, music and other performances.
“The show matters for our students who are non-Black so they can get an understanding of the culture,” BSU sponsor Calvin Lamar said. “It’s a way of teaching fellow students in a non-traditional way; so instead of books, whiteboards and film strips, they get a little more hands-on experience where they are getting involved in the educational process.”
Students and families could watch the show that evening after buying tickets on the eStore for $7. The show was a fundraiser for BSU, with the money going toward gatherings like cookouts and club meetings.
“I have seen the show before and it was really fun to see the different cultures along with their dances,” senior Jasmine Amaya said.
The club has been planning the show since summertime, organizing new officers and deciding who will be choreographers, what dances will be included and when tryouts will be held. Those who wanted to choreograph were given a list of dances BSU wanted to include in the show and instructed to send in videos for officers to choose from.
Tryouts were advertised a week in advance. Members spoke about the dates and times on the announcements and posted about the event on the BSU Instagram.
Tryouts were held the week of Nov. 10-14. Five dances went on at once in the school cafeteria and students were assigned a number to identify them for the entire week. After tryouts, officers sent out an email detailing the dances students were assigned to.
Although the show is hosted by BSU, other clubs were able to take part as well. Members of the Spanish Club, Indian Student Association, Caribbean Student Association and the Legends of Destiny Step Team performed.
“I think having an active representation in a school with low amounts of other cultures needs this type of representation as an outlet and a way for other Black students to come together and perform for the show,” Legends of Destiny Step Team captain Anaya DeArce said. “We don’t really see many of us, but when that show comes every year, we see us all.”
Students participating have been practicing since the end of Dec.; the majority of practices were held in Jan. Students practiced every week after school and had full rehearsals the week of the show in the auditorium to make sure they were prepared.
This year’s performance showcased 14 different dances and had a theme of time travel that was revealed on the day of the performance.
